DENISE MCKERN
Hampton East
Summary
Reliable and highly motivated Provisional Psychologist with experience supporting individuals across the lifespan. Passionate about early childhood intervention and fostering hope through compassionate, evidence-based care. Committed to recovery-oriented and neurodiversity-affirming approaches that enhance wellbeing and celebrate individual strengths. Proven ability to build rapport, conduct assessments, and deliver interventions in collaboration with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Mental Health Support Worker
Conscious Care Support
10.2020 - Current
- Providing one-on-one service delivery and/or group facilitation, supporting consumers to make their own decisions through a recovery-oriented approach
- Collaborating closely with treatment team and families to appropriately coordinate client care services
- Co-creating participant treatment plans based on assessments and goals
- Enhance and devise treatment strategies to promote continued progress
- Referring participants to external resources for additional support
- Encourage participants to express feelings and discuss happenings in life to help client develop insight into themselves and relationships
- Monitor, evaluate and record participant progress with respect to treatment goals
- Monitoring self-harm and suicide ideation, liaising with crisis assessment services when necessary.
School Provisional Psychologist
St Bernadettes Primary School
04.2024 - 11.2024
- Conducted individual and group therapy sessions for diverse student populations.
- Developed and implemented behavioural intervention plans tailored to student needs.
- Collaborated with educators to support mental health initiatives within the school community.
- Assessed students' psychological and emotional well-being through standardized tests and observations.
- Established partnerships with parents to promote holistic support for students' mental health needs.
- Conducted thorough psychological assessments using various testing methods to provide accurate diagnoses and inform treatment strategies.
Case Manager - Team Leader
Australian-Polish Community Services
02.2008 - 06.2017
- Provided person-focused case management to older individuals, enabling them to live independently in their own homes
- Provided supervision and leadership to a team of ten case managers and 40 support workers, including debriefing
- Planned and conducted in-service training and team meetings to Melbourne and Geelong branches
- Coordinated staff recruitment and induction
- Conducted initial and regular psychosocial assessments to develop and implement individualized service plans for elderly clients
- Conducted regular home visits to review and monitor care plans based on clients' needs and program requirements
- Monitored and evaluated delivery of services to clients to maintain quality care
- Performed annual performance reviews for case management team.
Youth Residential Support Worker
Wesley Youth Services
01.2006 - 01.2008
- Provided support and mentoring to high-risk youth living in residential home settings
- Supervised youth recreational activities and facilitated workshops surrounding self-development, education, and employment
- Oversaw daily routines of youth in placement and delivered services related to basic human needs
- Documented child progress, reporting extreme changes in behavior
- Reported incidents that negatively affected child safety.
Education
Master of Professional Psychology - Psychology
Cairnmillar Institute
Hawthorn, VIC11-2024
Bachelor of Science - Psychology Honours
University of Southern Queensland
Queensland01-2022
Graduate Diploma - Psychology
Monash University
01-2020
Bachelor of Science - Science/Psychology
Victoria University
01.2001
Skills
- Active listening and communication
- Friendly, positive attitude
- Reliable & trustworthy
- Computer skills: Microsoft office
- Rapport building
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Crisis intervention
- Building rapport
- Progress monitoring
- Patient advocacy
- Patient support
Certification
Working with Children Check
LANGUAGES
Polish
Fluent
Hobbies and Interests
Scuba Diving, Reading, Meditation and Yoga, Travel and cultures
Timeline
School Provisional Psychologist
St Bernadettes Primary School
04.2024 - 11.2024
Mental Health Support Worker
Conscious Care Support
10.2020 - Current
Case Manager - Team Leader
Australian-Polish Community Services
02.2008 - 06.2017
Youth Residential Support Worker
Wesley Youth Services
01.2006 - 01.2008
Bachelor of Science - Science/Psychology
Victoria University
Master of Professional Psychology - Psychology
Cairnmillar Institute
Bachelor of Science - Psychology Honours
University of Southern Queensland
Graduate Diploma - Psychology
Monash University
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